Caeleb Dressel clocks his fastest 50m freestyle time in over a year since comeback at US Open Championships 2023

Caeleb Dressel recorded his fastest 50m freestyle swim since his return to the sport at the 2023 Toyota US Open Championships, held at the Greensboro Aquatic Center in Greensboro, North Carolina, from November 29 to December 2, 2023.

The seven-time Olympic gold medalist recorded a sub 22 seconds mark after clocking an impressive time of 21.99 seconds to top the B final. Meanwhile, Matt King finished 0.6 seconds behind of Dressel. Alberto Mestre had to settle in the third position with a time of 22.13 seconds.

During the prelims of the men's 50m freestyle swim, Dressel recorded a time of 22.35 seconds. The 27-year-old recorded his fastest swim in the long course meet since April 2022, when at the U.S. International Team Trials, he clocked a time of 21.29 seconds.

After taking a break from the sport last year, Dressel made his comeback at the 2023 Atlanta Classic. He clocked an impressive 22.92 seconds in the prelims for the men's 50m freestyle swim. Dressel improved his timing in the finals by clocking a spectacular 22.57 seconds.

Further, he recorded a time of 22.72 seconds in the prelims of the men's 50m freestyle at the 2023 U.S Nationals. Dressel will be seen competing in the men's 100m freestyle and 100m butterfly at the 2023 US Open Championships.

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Caeleb Dressel opens up on making comeback to swimming

Caeleb Dressel reacts after competing in the Men's 50 Meter Butterfly Final at the Phillips 66 National Championships at Indiana University Natatorium in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Caeleb Dressel has had a remarkable swimming career so far with seven Olympic medals to his name. During the 2022 FINA World Championships held in Hungary, Budapest, he withdrew from the competitions, citing an undisclosed health issue.

During an interview with the New York Times, he stated that taking a break from the sport was a necessity to focus on his mental health. He also conveyed his love for the sport and what made him return.

"The easiest way to put it, my body kept score,” Dressel said. “There were a lot of things I shoved down and all came boiling up, so I didn’t really have a choice."

He added:

"I missed every part of it. And that’s how I knew I was ready to get back. Because I didn’t need to, I wanted to."